Syrian Civil War
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Riad Seif’s testimony at the Syrian torture trial in Germany
A Syrian opposition legend speaks out
In the first case of its kind anywhere in the world, a German court is probing Syria's state torture system. Giving testimony at the trial is one of Syria's most widely respected opposition figures, Riad Seif, who helped the accused, Anwar R., get a visa for Germany. By Matthias von Hein
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2015 and the Syrian influx
Five years on: how has Germany's refugee policy fared?
Five years ago, as hundreds of thousands of refugees came to Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained: "We can do it." How has Germany – and those who sought asylum – managed since then? Christoph Hasselbach explains
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Syrian refugees in Germany five years on
Samer Serawan's Damascus Aroma – a taste of integration
Five years ago, Samer Serawan spent many long, cold nights in a muddy courtyard in Berlin, one of many Syrians who queued up to live in Germany. Now he has a successful restaurant that promotes integration. Ben Knight reports
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Fourth Brussels Syria Conference
After nine years of war, who is helping the Syrians?
Twelve million Syrians are dependent on humanitarian aid, a sombre figure that conceals much suffering and high costs, of which Europe bears 80%. With an aid shortfall looming, the EU is mobilising donations and counting on civil society. Christian Hanelt argues that Brussels must take a stronger stance politically if the suffering is to stop
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Mask diplomacy and power politics
Erdogan's foreign policy in the shadow of coronavirus
In the age of corona, Ankara's regional power strategy is twofold: on the one hand, Turkey is engaged in a charm offensive to revamp its political image, which has suffered lately in certain quarters. On the other, President Erdogan is pursuing a tough policy of interests backed up by military force. By Ronald Meinardus
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International Day in support of victims of torture
"The international human rights system is slowly eroding"
From Syrian war crimes to U.S. hypocrisy in the Julian Assange case, the global "erosion of human rights standards" is of critical concern, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer tells Matthias von Hein
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War crimes in Syria
Can Syrian sexual violence survivors get justice in Germany?
Brutal sexualised violence is widespread in Syrian prisons – and yet the subject receives little attention. Human rights activists are trying to achieve justice for thousands of victims in Germany. By Lisa Ellis
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Municipal administration for beginners
Local authorities in Germany offer traineeships to Syrians
Twenty-five Syrian refugees were accepted onto a one-year trainee programme in municipal administration with seven German local authorities. As it turns out, the Syrians were not the only ones to benefit. Claudia Mende reports
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Syrian regime in crisis
Assad versus Makhlouf
The power struggle between the Syrian regime and Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad and one of the richest men in Syria, is coming to a head now that the state has ordered the confiscation of Makhlouf's assets. Commentary by Shafeeq Ghabra
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Syrian refugees in Lebanon
More scared of starving than of coronavirus
With social distancing impossible in tents, a coronavirus outbreak in one of Lebanon's Syrian refugee camps would quickly turn catastrophic. Yet, many Syrians have more existential fears than those posed by the virus. Diana Hodali reports
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Assad's crimes against his own people
Syrian ex-secret police stand trial in Germany
For the first time anywhere, Syrian intelligence officers are facing trial – in Germany. The court aims to probe the defendant's alleged crimes, as well as cast light on Bashar al-Assad's system of torture and oppression. By Matthias von Hein
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Politics, inequality and a lack of transparency
Coronavirus and the Middle East's ongoing state of emergency
Plagued by troubled state-citizen relationships on the one hand and conflict on the other, states in the Middle East could discover new uses for COVID-19 lockdown measures. By Abdalhadi Alijla